Justin Trudeau blames 'right-wing American MAGA-influenced thinking' for turning conservatives in Canada against Ukraine

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his conservative political rival was abandoning Ukraine due to 'MAGA-influenced thinking'.

On Tuesday, all 109 Conservative lawmakers in the country blocked updated legislation for the free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine.

In response, Trudeau launched a blistering attack on Friday saying that the American MAGA movement and hard right politics was eroding support for Ukraine in Canada. 

'To see the Conservative Party of Canada decide not to support Ukraine with something they need with the absurd excuse that it's because Ukraine is going to put a price on pollution, is ridiculous,' Trudeau said.

'The real story is the rise of a right-wing, American MAGA influence thinking that has made Canadian Conservatives, who used to be among the strongest defenders of Ukraine turn their backs on something Ukraine needs in its hour of need.'

Trudeau also said that politicians in the US, Europe and Canada who do not back aid for Ukraine are 'starting to parrot Russian disinformation and misinformation and propaganda.'

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is leading in all polls, said his party did not support it because it would force Ukraine to adopt a carbon tax. 

The trade bill includes language that the two countries will 'promote' carbon pricing and mitigation, but does not have provisions that force such a plan. 

On Thursday Poilievre insisted that he supported Ukraine and a free-trade deal, but 'voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement.' 

Trudeau also said on Friday that: 'All Canadians should be concerned when the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre turn their backs on history.

'Turn their backs on our friends and allies, turn their backs on the international rules-based order and our support for the UN charter on territorial integrity.'

On Friday a spokesman for Poilievre, did not respond when asked by Reuters whether the leader was taking his cues from Trump.

Canada has the second-largest Ukrainian expatriate community after Russia and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said in a statement it was disappointed Conservatives had voted against the trade agreement.

Poilievre would clobber Trudeau and likely win a majority if an election were held today, opinion polls show. One of Poilievre's main promises is to 'axe' Canada's carbon tax if elected.

Poilievre says the pricing has added to cost-of-living concerns amid high inflation.

Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for his party's presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of U.S. support for Kyiv and has said he could end the war in 24 hours if re-elected.

A relatively small but vocal group of Republicans has criticized Ukraine assistance for months, accusing Kyiv of failing to sufficiently fight corruption, which Ukrainian and U.S. officials deny.

This is not the first time that Trudeau has blamed problems in Canada on the American right wing, having previously said they had weaponized LGBTQ rights. 

Trudeau had been speaking to parents at a mosque in Calgary after hundreds of Muslim parents gathered in Ottawa in June to protest against LGBTQ education in schools. 

Trudeau told the crowd that 'people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right wing' were stirring up the protests.

However, in America, at least one set of Muslim parents told Fox they were offended by Trudeau's remarks.

'I take much offense to what he said,' Binnish Mustafa, mother to a seven-year-old special needs child. 'This is something that really affected us here in Montgomery County.'

She said Trudeau was ignorant about the reality in US schools, saying he 'really needs to go to the public school classroom and sit there and see the discussions that follow certain classroom books that are being discussed.'

Another parent, Kareem Monib, told Fox he felt Trudeau was ill-informed about what was happening in US schools and was simply parroting what his fellow liberals said in defense of a 'woke' curriculum.

'It's shocking that Trudeau would use the same kind of silly arguments that are being used in the United States,' he said.